"Your Favorite Cipota Traveler" - Analucy Benavides

 El Salvador has always been a beautiful place and Analucy has known it since birth. Analucy writes about her travels, family, and the identity crisis the Salvadoran diaspora faces. We talk about the importance of loving one’s own country, travel recommendations for El Salvador, and reframing how we think about helping underserved communities at home.

Analucy Benavides is a Salvadoran-American travel blogger and content creator from Maryland. Her writing focuses on travel tips, lessons learned, embracing solo travel, and returning to your roots. She has spearheaded various projects to help develop rural communities abroad and foster cultural exchanges.

• Growing up Salvi in the DMV
• Adobo DMV
• Tia Chingona pupusas in DMV
• Feeling rejected by El Salvador
• Growing up outside of American Culture in the US
• “White tax” and “Yankee privilege” in El Salvador
• Starting a blog that better reflected the immigrant reality for grief and travel
• The impact of the first trip abroad outside the US and El Salvador
• Visit Cuba!
• Moving to work remotely in El Salvador
• Budgeting to live at the average Salvadoran wage
• The sense of community in El Salvador vs New York/US
• Lodging tips (links below)
• Regions/places to visit in El Salvador (links below)
• Carnaval de San miguel
• Dealing with getting upcharged as a tourist
• Operation Christmas
• Holiday baskets that really meets people’s needs

Show Resources:

• Adobo DMV: https://www.adobodmv.com/
• Tia Chingona Food: https://www.instagram.com/tiachingona/
• Places to stay in El Salvador
  • Finca Campo Bello: https://hotelfincacampobello.com/en/home/
  • Nawi Beach House: https://www.nawibeachhouse.com/
  • Casa 1800 (Suchitoto): https://casa1800elsalvador.com/suchitoto-el-salvador-travel/
• Places to Visit
  • Usulután
    • Puerto Barillas: https://www.puertobarillas.com/welcome/
    • Paradise San Lorenzo: https://www.instagram.com/paradisesanlorenzo/
  • Alegria, Usulután
    • 100 Steps: https://elsalvador.travel/experience/mirador-de-las-100-gradas/
    • Finca Rauda: https://www.instagram.com/fincarauda.sv/
  • Berlin, Usulután
    • Café El Portal: https://www.instagram.com/cafeelportal9/
  • Suchitoto - Museo Alejandro Coto: https://www.ccsa.edu.sv/index.php/cultural/museo-alejandro-cotto
  • Apaneca - Cafe Albania: https://laberintoalbania.com/
  • Apaneca - Cafe Axul: https://www.instagram.com/axulartesania/

Music:

“Despertar” by Clément